Prepositions of place and directions

Prepositions of place – at, in, on

Main points

• 
  You use ‘at’ to talk about a place as a point.
  
• 
  You use ‘in’ to talk about a place as an area.
  
• 
  You use ‘on’ to talk about a place as a surface.
  

1. 
   You use ‘at’ when you are thinking of a place as a point in space.
   

‘Where were you last night?’ – ‘At Mick’s house.’

2. 
   You also use ‘at’ with words such as ‘back’, ‘bottom’, ‘end’, ‘front’, and ‘top’ to talk about the different parts of a place.
   

You use ‘at’ with public places and institutions. Note that you also say ‘at home’ and ‘at work’.

You say ‘at the corner’ or ‘on the corner’ when you are talking about streets.

You say ‘in the corner’ when you are talking about a room.

3. 
   You use ‘in’ when you are talking about a place as an area. You use ‘in’ with:
   

• 
  a country or geographical region
  

• 
  a city, town, or village
  

• 
  a building when you are talking about people or things inside it
  

You also use ‘in’ with containers of any kind when talking about things inside them.

4. 
   Compare the use of ‘at’ and ‘in’ in these examples.
   

5. 
   When talking about addresses, you use ‘at’ when you give the house number, and ‘in’ when you just give the name of the street.
   

Note that American English uses ‘on’: ‘He lived on Penn Street.’

You use ‘at’ when you are talking about someone’s house.

I’ll see you at Fred's house.

6. 
   You use ‘on’ when you are talking about a place as a surface. You can also use ‘on top of’.
   

You also use ‘on’ when you are thinking of a place as a point on a line, such as a road, a railway line. a river, or a coastline.

1. 
   Put the correct preposition into each gap.
   

2. 
   Put the correct preposition into each gap (if necessary).
   

1. 
   Are you coming to classes _____ Monday?
   
2. 
   Can’t you hurry up? The train leaves _____ 9 o’clock.
   
3. 
   There weren’t many people _____ the party.
   
4. 
   David has been a teacher _____ 10 years.
   
5. 
   They got married some time _____ .
   
6. 
   Do you know the names of the letter _____ English?
   
7. 
   I don’t live far _____ my office. In fact, it’s quite _____ .
   
8. 
   What time do you usually come _____ home?
   
9. 
   He lives _____ the country.
   
10. 
    I think she’s gone _____ holiday _____ the South.
    
11. 
    I’m going to stay _____ my parents _____ July.
    
12. 
    It’s so difficult to wake him up _____ the morning.
    
13. 
    The girls are _____ the bus stop.
    
14. 
    They are going _____ school.
    
15. 
    The children are playing _____ the garden.
    
16. 
    Did you see the film _____ television yesterday?
    
17. 
    I try to go _____ bed before midnight.
    
18. 
    Young people are fond _____ sports.
    
19. 
    Charles is very good _____ languages.
    
20. 
    It might be John but I thought he was _____ work.
    
21. 
    - How do you get _____ work?
    

22. 
    Look _____ that picture.
    
23. 
    Why don’t you take _____ your coat. It’s warm today.
    
24. 
    She’s French, she comes _____ the South of France.
    

1. 
   Matching verb forms
   

He works in a bank.

She doesn’t smoke.

They are both Present Simple active.

A

1. 
   I don’t believe you.
   
2. 
   Have you been waiting long?
   
3. 
   He hasn’t arrived yet.
   
4. 
   It wasn’t mended properly.
   
5. 
   How are you feeling today?
   
6. 
   My office is being decorated at the moment.
   
7. 
   We got lost.
   
8. 
   What were you doing last night?
   
9. 
   This book has been translated into several languages.
   
10. 
    The post is delivered twice a day.
    

1. 
   It’s raining.
   
2. 
   Did you have a good time?
   
3. 
   How are these machines made?
   
4. 
   They were working for something.
   
5. 
   He was killed in a car crash.
   
6. 
   What is being done about inflation?
   
7. 
   I’ve been thinking about moving house.
   
8. 
   Have you seen Henry?
   
9. 
   A cure for cancer hasn’t been found yet.
   
10. 
    Where do you work?
    

2. 
   Active or passive?
   

3. 
   Passive construction
   

She was told the news.

1. 
   Someone will give you your tickets at the airport.
   
2. 
   People asked me a lot of questions about my background.
   
3. 
   Someone usually shows airline passengers how to use a life jacket at the beginning of the flight.
   
4. 
   If somebody offers you a cheap camera, don’t buy it. It’s probably stolen.
   
5. 
   Doctors have given him six months to live.
   
6. 
   Someone will tell you what you have to do when you arrive.
   
7. 
   My parents advised me to spend some time abroad before looking for work.
   
8. 
   Pleased to meet you. People have told me a lot about you.
   
9. 
   At interviews, people ask you quite searching questions.
   
10. 
    In a few years’ time, my company will send me to our New York office.
    

4. 
   Tense review (1)
   

1. 
   My wife and I (a) ________ (live) in our present house in the country for five years. We (b) ________ (move) here after our second child (c) ________ (be) born. We (d) ________ (live) in town for ten years , and (e) ________ (decide) that as soon as we (f) ________ (can) afford it, we (g) ________ (move) away from the smoke and the noise of the city centre, which we finally (h) __ __ __ in 1985. We (i) ________ never (regret) it. We (j) ________ (be) reminded of the wisdom of our decision every morning when we (k) ________ (draw) the curtains to see the open fields stretching before us. When the children (l) ________ (have) breakfast, they (m) ________ (rush) outside to play, which they (n) __ __ __ whatever the weather. Whilst they (o) ________ (play) outside, we somehow manage to start the day.
   
2. 
   Actually, we (a) ________ (think) of moving. My wife (b) ________ (accept) a new job, which she (c) ________ (start) next month. As soon as she (d) __ __ __ , she (e) ________ (have) a journey of fifty miles there and back, and I (f) ________ (not think) that she (g) ________ (realise) just how tiring this (h) ________ (be). I (i) ________ (go) away on business for a few days next week, and while I (j) ________ (be) away, my sister (k) ________ (come) to stay, which she (l) __ __ __ quite often. Once I (m) ________ (be) back, I (n) ________ (decide) that I (o) ________ (get) in touch with some estate agents. I (p) ________ (not feel) happy until we (q) ________ (find) a house closer to my wife’s job. I wonder what the children (r) ________ (say) when they (s) ________ (hear) that we (t) ________ (move). This is the first time they (u) ________ (live) in the country, and they (v) ________ (hate) to move back to town.
   

5. 
   Tense review (2)
   

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